Tear off crown



y 1965 J. F. SCHARF 3,195,755

wmn OFF cnowu Filed June 4, 1964 INVENTOR Jiiaeri fiwflw ZA W ATTORNEY5" United States Patent "ice 3,195,755 TEAR OFF CRGWN Jerry F. Scharf,Havertown, Pa., assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc.,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New York Filed June 4, 1964, Ser.No. 372,612 14 Claims. (Cl. 215-46) The present application relatesgenerally to container seals or closures, and more particularly to animproved tear off crown closure for containers wherein the crown closureis provided with a tear-tab having an improved score configuration.

Crown closures of the type contemplated in the instant invention andtear off closures for bottles generally, are commonly employed to effectthe closure and sealing of glass bottles, narrow-necked jars and othercontainers, for example, those containing carbonated beverages or otherliquids capable of exerting internal pressure. Typically, suchcontainers have a circumferential radially outwardly projecting head orshoulder having a rounded profile adjacent to and surrounding theopening or mouth of the container. Tear off closures, as known in theart, usually comprise a capsule-shaped shell of sheet metal which can beeasily torn and which is adapted to be rigidly connected about theshoulder provided around the mouth of the container and thereby clamp adisc of a sealing material over the opening thereof. Commonly, a metaldisc is inserted between the shell and the liner for reinforcementpurposes when the tear off closure is to be utilized in sealingcarbonated beverages and the like. The top of the capsule is usuallyflat or substantially flat and by means of shaped score lines orincisions may be provided with an integral tongue-like thumb pieceformed or cut therein, hereinafter called a tear-tab, which can easilybe raised out of the top portion of the capsule and grasped by thefingers of the container user in order to tear the capsule through scorelines that may be provided for this purpose and thereby open thecontainer.

The known tear off closures described above have not found widecommercial success, however, due to diffiiculty in manfacture andunsatisfactory results in removing the tear-tab. For example, in theknown tear off closures wherein the tear-tab is formed from a part ofthe closure top by means of fracturable score lines or lanced incisions,it has been found in manuafcturing the same that stresses placed on theclosure in the formation thereof into a capsule-shaped element, or insubsequent molding operations such as during the insertion of a sealingdisc, as well as in the capping operation where the closure is sealedabout the shoulder around the container mouth, the closure is subjectedto lateral and transverse stresses across the top thereof which causeundesired fracturing of the score and incision lines, and inducefracture across the top of the closure itself. Also, in such closureswherein score lines define the path which the tab is to follow duringtearing, these manufacturing stresses have caused severe score fractureand premature tearing of the closure, thus jeopardizing or bringingabout the spoilation of the contents of the container. Another principalobjection to the known tear off closures occurs in manufacturingoperations wherein misalignment of the dies forming the score lines andthe incisions forming the tear-tab may occur due to the extreme highspeeds required for economy of production, thereby producing a closurehaving great resistance to removal of the tear-tab which will not easilyfollow the nonaligned incision and score lines. Accordingly, the art isstill desirous of a means to solve the problems of premature scorefracturing during formation and of aligning the incision and score linesto insure positive tracking of the tear-tab during removal.

ddiiSfiSS Patented July 20, 1965 It is therefore a principal object ofthis invention to provide a crown closure and tear-tab with improvedscore configurations.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fully effective andappealing tear off crown closure that will overcome the defects of priorart tear off closures.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide an improved tearoff crown closure which is economical to produce and fully effective insealiing capacity and dependability.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved tearoff crown closure which can be applied to existing containers to sealthe same by existing production facilities without expensivemodification and redesign thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved tear offcrown closure for sealing bottles containing carbonated beverages orother liquids capable of exerting internal pressure which isparticularly adapted to be easily removed from the bottle withoutexcessive elfort by the fingers of the user.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improvedtear off crown closure for glass bottles which is more economical toproduce than comparable closures of the prior art and permits not onlyan effective tight sealing of the bottle but also readily lends itselfto an unsealing thereof.

Other objects and the entire scope of the present invention, togetherwith an appreciation of the advantages thereof, will become apparentfrom the following detailed description and by reference to theaccompanying drawings.

Broadly stated, the objects of the invention are accomplished byproviding two metal pieces, an outer shell formed from an easilyfracturable metal such as aluminum and a preformed inner metal disc, forexample, of steel or stainless steel press fitted to the inside of thecrown, with a sealing liner, preferably a molded plastic liner appliedover the disc and over a short portion of the inner side wall of theouter crown to seal the disc within the shell in a manner unexpectedfrom the prior art. Specifically, the new tear off crown assembly ofthis invention consists of a basic crown shell of relatively thinaluminum formed with an incised or lanced tab in the center of thecrown, wherein the tab has a circular segment shape and is redirected atthe junction of its segmented circle into two short straight legsterminating at the beginning of two specially designed scoreconfigurations. The separate score configurations each begin with asmall circular shape approximately located on the outer area of the topof the crown, and then immediately narrow into a thinner line scoreapproximately extending to and over the corner radius and down the sideof the crown shell, with both score lines terminating about half waydown the side of the crown. Further, the separate thin preformed metaldisc, which may be coated with shellac or the like, is press fitted intothe crown, after which the combined crown and disc assembly isintroduced into a plastic molding machine where the plastic liner isformed and secured in place over the disc and over a portion of theinner side wall of the outer crown shell and is effectively sealedthereto to hold the insert disc in place within the crown shell. Thepresent specific score configuration, by the use of the substantiallycircular score area, greatly reduces score fracturing duringmanufacturing and crimping of the crown shell as the circular score arearesists premature fracture, and also permits variations in therespective alignment of the lanced leg to the score line withoutjeopardizing the tear olf function of the tab due to mis alignment,since it has unexpectedly been found according to the invention that anyfracture within the circular q V a score area will lead to the linescores, thus insuring positive tracking of the score to the straight legof the lanced tab.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which V crown shell andtear-tab and score configuration;

FIGURE 3 is adiagramrnatic view, greatly simplified and taken from theunderside of the crown shell in FIG- URE 2 to show the scoreconfiguration;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view showing the tear off crown of the inventionand the metal dis-c insert therefor;

FIGURE 5 is .a schematic View of the tear off crown with metal insertreceiving a plastisol liner in a molding operation; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation view, partly in section and greatlyenlarged, showing the relationship of the tear off crown shell, metalinsert and plastisol liner with the shoulder around the mouth of asuitable container;

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown a glass bottle orother container generally indicated at It) that is provided with thetear off" crown assembly indicated generally at 20, the same having atear-tab generally indicated by the reference numeral 3%, which tear-tabterminates in the scoreconfigurations indicated by the reference numeral46. In the enlarged view of FIGURES 2 and '6, the uncrimped outerportion of the tear off crown assembly according to the invention iscomposed of the usual uncrimped or noninwardly deformed crown 29 havinga generally hat-shaped metal shell 21 formed from any relatively easilyfracturable metal that may be a relatively soft -metal, such asaluminum. The metal shell 21 includes a slightly domed, circular topportion 22. and depending therefrom, a substantially cylindrical skirtindicated generally at 24 having a substantially smooth upper portionand terminating in an annular locking flange indicated at 26 extendingradially outward of, and at substantially right angles to thecylindrical skirt 24. While the circular top portion 22 may be slightlydomed so as to present slightly convex outer and inner surfaces, it willbe apparent that such circular top portion can be substantially fiat soas to present substantially plain outer and innersurfaces. As best seenin FIGURE 6, the smooth upper portion application Serial No. 354,050,filed March 23, 1964, that up to forty corrugations or more, that is,forty or more ribs alternating with forty or more ridges, may beemployed in order to impart the desired strength and rigidity to theclosure Ztl. As shown, the fluted corrugations each merge with thecylindrical skirt 24 in a relatively sharply rounded juncture or kneehaving a rela tively small radius in radial section, the flutes 25extending radially outward therefrom to the peripheral edge of theannular locking flange Z6, Crimping or camrning of the locking flange 26about the shoulder of a container is facilitated by the sharp radialknee portion 28 provided approximately midway of the downwardlyprojecting of cylindrical skirt 24 merges with the circular top portion22 of the metal crown shell in a smooth inwardly flaring annulartransition portion 23 which is rounded in radial section so as to definesimilarly rounded annular outer and inner transition surfaces.

In order to strengthen the relatively weak crown shell 21, and to enablethe new tear off crown closure Zil formed therefrom to be effectivelyretained in sealing engagement with the container it) to which it isapplied, the radially extending annular locking flange 26 is given anundulatory form by being circumferentially provided with a plurality Vof corrugations of substantially identical form. The corrugations willbe seen to comprise downwardly projecting concave flutes or ribs 25formed by radially extending downwardly converging wall portions whichmerge in a rounded or slightly flattened raidally extending juncture,alternating with similarly shaped upwardly projecting convex ridges 27formed by upwardly converging wall portions which merge'in a rounded orslightly flattened radially extending juncture. The several corrugationsshown not only add great strength and rigidity to the annular lockingflange 26, but also provide for a certain amount of circumferentialcompression and expansion of the flange 26 which facilitates thecrimping application of the tear off crown closure assembly 20.Normally, about twenty-one such corrugations are employed for theclosure 29 but where the metal shell 21 is formed from lightermaterials, it has been found, according to copending concave flutes 25,which knee portion is adapted to be carnmed under the container shoulderin a manner understood in the art.

According to the invention, the crown shell 21, as shown in FIGURE 2,is-provided with the tear-tab 39 formed of a circular arc segment 31,preferably of greater than semicircular size and having reinforcingcircular bosses or ribs 34 and 36 defining exterior tab portion 33 andinterior tab portions and 37. Although two such bosses are shown, asingle such boss or a plurality may be employed to provide thereinforcing desired. The circular arc 31 terminates via relativelyabrupt; radii into two straight leg portions 32 and 32 which themselvesterminate within the score configurations indicated by the referencenumerals ill and All. The straight leg portions 32 and 32 also define atear tab portion 38, while the score configurations W and ill define afurther tab portion 39 which passes from the top of the shell portion22, over the portion 23, having a radius of about one sixteenth-inch,and down'the cylindrical skirt, terminating in the area of the annularlocking flange. In the embodiment shown, both tab portions 38 and 39 aregreater in width than the tab radius.

As shown in the sketch of FIGURE 3, taken from the underside of thecrown'in FIGURE 2, the laneed tab 30 is formed by making a circular arcincision 31 of preferably greater than semicircular size completelythrough the metal of'the crown shell, the circular segment shape beingredirected at the junction of the segmented circle 31 into the two shortstraight legs 32 and 32' terminating within the beginning ofthe twospecially designed score configurations 4t? and ill. The scoreconfigurations 4t) and ill are each made in a manner known in the art byusing dies having a substantially key shape which compress the metal tosome extent and may cause it to raise slightly on the outside to providea circular shaped portion dz-described by the are 44-. The circle 42-,as an example, may have a diameter of about one-sixteenth inch and maybe located on the outer area of the top of thecrown. The circularportion 42 then immediately narrows into the leg or line score portion43 formed by the lines 45 and as. The circular portion may liecompletely on thetop of the crown or may run slightly over the edgethereof. The line score portion 4-3 is approximately .010 inch wide andextends to and over the corner radius and down the side of the crown,terminating about halfway down the side of the crown shell at the scoreline 58. It is to beunderstood that the leg portions may comprise thetwo lines shown which form the line score 4-3, or a plurality ofsubstantially parallel score lines or may comprise a single narrow scoreline. The line scores d3 can also be parallel.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the scoreconfigurations 4t and dill are oriented with respect to each other at anangle, for example, of about 15 such that each is oriented at about 7 /2from a mutual reference line. This has a first advantage of betterconforming to the circular shape of the crown. As an added advantage andas a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is desired thatthe line score portions 43 should reach down between the points of theperiphery of the crown locking flange, as this has surprisingly beenfound to further reduce incidence of fracture or splitting duringcrimping for reasons not yet fully understood. Also according to apreferred embodiment, the straight leg portions 32 and 32' of the lancedarc 31 should desirably enter the circular portion 42 of thesubstantially key-shaped score configurations toward the outer extremitythereof since it has surprisingly been found according to the inventionthat this configuration is far less conducive to fracture duringcrimping and capping. It has further been found that while the legportions 32 may be placed in substantially any area of the circle 42, asthe position of the leg portions 32 is moved outwardly of the circle 42,it becomes increasingly harder to fracture the score prematurely duringcrimping and this is especially preferred according to the invention inreducing and resisting fracture and ofiering advantages in alignment.Desirably, the lanced legs 32 should not be in alignment with the linescore 43, or lines 45 and 46 thereof, as these locations have been foundto be more subject to fracture and splitting, although such location maybe employed according to the invention.

According to the preferred embodiment, the crown shell may be formedfrom aluminum of about 0.0115 to 0.012 inch thickness. The entire crownmay have an uncrimped outer diameter of about 1.264 inch and an innerdiameter of about 1.054 inch, while the two preferred circular bosses 34and 36 will have diameters of twenty-seven and fifteen sixty-fourthsinch respectively. The crown height to the edge of the top at 21 will beabout '236 inch, while the center height will be about one quarter inchand the circular bosses will have heights of about 0.013 inch with across sectional radius of 0.020 inch. The diameter of the circle 31forming the tab will be about twenty-one thirty seconds inch while theradius leading to the straight leg portions will be about one-eighthinch, and the straight legs will terminate at a distance of aboutthree-eighths inch from a line passing through the axis of the circulartab. According to the preferred embodiment, the score configurations areabout one-quarter inch long, with a one-sixteenths inch diametercircular portions and a one thirty-secondths inch radius leading intothe straight leg portions, the center line of the circular portions ofthe two score configurations being about 0.344 inch apart.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the crown shell 21, provided with the incision andscore lines shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, is assembled with a preformedmetal insert 50 having a relatively flat or slightly domed internal area52 defined by the upturned edges or slightly dished sidewall portions 54which may have an overall height of about 0.045 inch. The insert 50,which may be for-med from a relatively stiff material such as steel orstainless steel of about 0.0066 inch thickness, or a stiff aluminum isof a size to fit reasonably snugly within the crown shell 20 and may beslightly oversized to promote snug fitting engagement therein by meansof press fitting. This metal insert, which forms the interior sealingsurface of the new tear off crown, is adapted to receive a suitablepressure sealing resilient lining material, such as the resilient lineror gasket 70 which preferably is formed of a suitable syntheticthermoplastic material uch as a polyvinyl .chloride plastisol or thelike. According to the invention,

the insert 50 is held and sealed within the crown shell 21 principallyby means of the sealing portion 74 of the resilient liner 70 which issecured by compression molding to the underside or inner surface of thetear off crown 20 and is applied over the disc, and a short portion ofthe inner ide wall of the outer crown shell to hold the disc 50 therein.The liner material is compounded so as to be odorless and tasteless andto be free from effects on,

or to be affected by, ordinary foods or liquids which may be stored inthe container 10. Preferably, the liner 70 0 comprises a vinyl chlorideplastisol such as has been illustrated and described in US. Patent3,002,641.

The raised portion 72 of the plastisol liner 70 will be deformed duringthe capping operation, briefly described hereinafter, so as to conformto, and be in intimate sealing engagement with, the opposed sealingsurface of the container or bottle. The cylindrical skirt 24 may thus berelatively shallow, i.e., of relatively short axial extent as comparedto prior art closures, since it need accommodate only a relatively thingasket or liner 7!). As is understood in the art, the metal insert 50may be provided with a suitable pre-coating of a lacquer or shellaccomposition to increase adhesion of the sealing liner to the metalinsert but this is by no means necessary as it is known in the art thatsome synthetic lining materials will adhere sufficiently well to themetal insert for normal purposes.

Turning to FIGURE 5 which shows a suitable plastic molding device,generally indicated at 60, the crown shell 21, with the metal insert 50simply place-d or press fitted thereinto, is placed upside down into themold form 64, which may be heated, followed by insertion of either asubstantially preformed liner 70, or a mass of unformed plastisolcomposition in a manner known in the art. Thereafter, the die or punch62, which may be heated, is pressed against the preform or the plastisolcomposition, further pressing the metal insert 50 into th crown assemblyand forming and plasticizing either the preform or the plastisolcomposition over the metal insert and into the shape of the liner 70,the Plastic liner being formed and secured in place over the disc and toa portion of the inner side wall of the outer crown shell 21. As shown,the liner '70 takes the shape of the crown shell skirt portion 24, themetal insert 50 and the bottom of the mold 62 to provide (see FIGURE 6)a generally fiat central area of about 0.006 inch thickness with araised pressure sealing portion 72 and an exterior insert-to-crownsealing portion 74.

Turning to FIGURE 6, the tear off crown assembly 20 i shown in positionprior to being shaped about the shoulder portion 12 of the mouth of thecontainer 10 by the usual capping dies. In the capping and crimpingoperation, the gasket or liner 70, by means of a suitable presser foot,is initially compressed between the metal of the insert 50 and therounded, generally upwardly facing sealing surface at the mouth of thebottle or container 10 to form a seal therebetween. While the seal thusestablished between the bottle and the crown closure i maintained, asuitable die means such as a tapered sealing throat engages the loweredge of the fluted skirt of the crown closure upon axial displacementrelative thereto, so as to radially compress and deform such flutedskirt portion of the closure inwardly to wedge the knee portion 28 andthe lower portions of the skirt flutings under the shoulder 12, shown incross section for convenience, and thereby retain the crown closure insealing engagement with the mouth of the container 10. This action notonly provides locking engagement .of the tear off crown closure with theshoulder on the container but also generally results in some furthercompression of the liner or gasket 70. Thus, the knee portion 28 of thecrown will be formed against the lower radius 13 of the shoulder 12, theshrinkage and stretching of the crown being taken up by the undulationsof the locking flange portion 26. In the sealing and capping step, theportion 72 of the plastisol liner '70 will be pressed against the upperradius 16 of the shoulder 12 slightly compressing the liner 70 andcausing the raised portion 72 to flow inwardly. Also, the exteriorsealing portion 74 will be moved close to and usually into touchingengagement with the large peripheral art 14 defining the main portion ofthe shoulder 12. It should be understood that the present tear off crownassembly can be used in conjunction withcontainers and bottles havingother cross-sectional crown cap receiving shoulder or head shapes. Onesuch important 7 improvement in head shapes is described and claimed insaid copending application, Serial No. 354,050.

In the capping and crimping operation, the tear-tab 30 will desirablyraise slightly or popup as the metal of the shell 21 is stretched tosome small extent. Thereafter, the tear-tab can be gripped by thefingers of a bottle user and by a tearing action, the tear-tab will befolded back until the leg portions 32 and 3.2 tear into the circularportion 42 of the score configuration 4d. The advantage of this circularportion is to insure that the leg portions 32. and 32' of the tear-tabwill coact with'at least some portion of the score configuration since,as earlier explained, poor score tracking has been a disadvantage ofearlier constructions. This feature of the invent-ion also offers anadvantage in quality control since the positioning of the tear-tab andthe score configurations may now be subject to some mutual variationwithout un desirable consequences. It is thereforeto be understoodthatother configurations than the circular shape shown may be foundsuitable for this purpose and the invention should not be preciselylimited thereto.

Upon reaching the circular portions or other equivalent .shaped portions42 of the score configuration, a firm pull on the tab acting through theportion 38 will cause the score configurations to tear down the legportions formed by the score lines 45 and 46, and through the scorelines 48 into the crimped flange portion 26 of the crown shell. Ifthepull is hard and straight, the tab 30 with portions 38 and '39 may beremoved completelyfrom the crown shell 21 such that the crown shell'istorn into a C-shaped configuration and no longer retains sealingengagement with the shoulder 12 of the container 10. The remainingportions of the crown, including the shell,the metal insert and theliner, may come off with removal of the tear-tab, but if thetear-tab ispulled straight down, the shell 21, insert 50 and liner 70 can be simplyremoved by the fingers of the user.

Alternately, and in the more usual case, the tab 30 wiil be given atwisting'movement as it is pulled so that,-after tearing off the portion38, the portion 39 will adhere on one side to the crown shell while theother side of portion 39 will track from one of the score portions in anarcing fashion through the annular locking flange 26. With this tearingmotion and with the sealing portion 74 of the liner 70 securing theinsert 50 to the crown shell, all

members will adhere to tab portion 39 and be removed therewith from themouth of the container.

In accomplishing the objects of the invention, it can be seen that a newtear off crown closure and score configuration has been provided whichgreatly facilitates the ease of removal of the tear-tab and insures thatthe tear tab-will coact with the score configuration. It should beunderstood, however, that. the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only,

since various changes and modifications can be made radially outward ofsaid cylindrical skirt, said top portion being formed with an arcuateincision providing a lanced tab, and weakened score portions locatedatthe ends of said incision and extending therefrom, said score portionshaving a substantially circular shape located on the outer area of thetop of said crown shell and immediately narrowing into a line scoreportion extending to and over the corner radius and down the cylindricalskirt, a rigid insert dis fitted into theinside of said as metal crownshell; and a resilient sealing liner' secured to the inner surface ofsaid rigid insert disc and a short portion of the inner side wall of thecrown shell to secure said rigid insert within said crown shell, saidliner being adapted to sealingly engage the container whereby when saidcrown closure is operatively applied to the container, said lockingflange will retain said liner in sealing en gagement with the container.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the metal crown shell is formed fromaluminum of approximately 0.012 inch thickness.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the rigid insert disc is formed ofstainless steel and has a substantially flat shape with slightly dishedside walls.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said lanced tab has a circularsegment shape, said 'tab being redirected at the junction ofthesegmented circle into two short straight-legs terminating within thecircular beginning shape of said weakened score portions.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the liner comprises a vinyl chlorideplastisol.

6; The structure of claim 1 wherein said lanced tab is provided withplural concentric circular raised reinforcing bosses.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the circular shape of said scoreportions is approximately one-sixteenth inch in diameter and said linescore portion is approximately 0.010 inch wide. a

8. A tear 'off' crown closure adapted to sealingly en gage the mouth ofa container having an annular crown closure receivingsurface'surrounding said mouth and defining the end of said containercomprising in combination: a metal crown shell formed from relativelylight gauge aluminum whichcan easily be torn, said crown shellcomprising a circular top portion and a substantially cylindrical skirtdepending from said circular top portion, and an integral annularlocking flange extending radially outwardof said cylindrical skirt, saidtop portion being formed with an incision providing a lanced tab in thecenter thereof, said tab having a circular segment shape and beingredirected at the junction of the segmented circle into two shortstraight legs terminating within the beginning of two weakened scoreportions, said score portions having a substantially circular shapelocated on the outer area of the top of said crown-shell and immediatelynarrowing int-o a line score portion extending to and over the cornerradius and down the cylindrical skirt; a preformed inner stainless steeldisc having a substantially flat shape with slightly dished side walls,said inner disc having substantially the same diameter as said crownshell and being .press fitted thereinto; and a'resilient sealing linersecured to the inner surface of said inner disc and to a short portionof the innerside wall of the crown shell to secure said inner disctherein, said liner being adapted to sealingly engage the crown closurereceiving surface so that when said tear off crown closure is applied bycrimping to said receiving surface, said annular locking flange willengage said receiving surface to thereby retain said liner in sealingengagement with said receiving surface whereby said crown closure can beremoved from sealingengagement with said receiving surface by pullingsaid tab through said line score portions, the circular shape of saidscore portions reducing score fracturing during the crimping andinsuring positive tracking of the legs of the lanced tab to said scoreportions.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein the :aluminum shell has a thicknessof about 0.0115 to 0.012 inch.

10. The structure of claim 8 wherein said score portions have a circularshape of approximately one-sixteenth inch diameter and a line scoreapproximately 0.010 inch wide.

11. The structure of claim 8 wherein the line score of each weakenedscore portion terminates about half way down the side of the crownshell.

12. The structure of claim 8 wherein the liner com- References Cited bythe Examiner prises a vinyl chloride plastisol. UNITED STATES PATENTS13. The structure of claim 8 wherein said score por- T tions aredisposed in non-parallel alignment such that 210691410 2/37 hochstadter215 39 the line score portions pass between the points of radially 5 FORGN PATENTS extending corrugations on said annular locking flange.

14. The structure of claim 8 wherein said straight legs 22?; giigi g arepositioned Within the outer extremities of the circular L score portionssuch that the line score portions are not in alignment with saidstraight legs to thereby greatly 10 reduce premature fracture duringcrimping.

FRANKLEN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A TEAR OFF CROWN CLOSURE ADAPTED TO BE APPLIED TO SEALINGLY ENGAGETHE MOUTH OF A CONTAINER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A METAL CROWN SHELLFORMED FROM RELATIVELY LIGHT GAUGE METAL WHICH CAN BE EASILY TORN, SAIDMETAL SHELL COMPRISING A CIRCULAR TOP PORTION, A SUBSTANTIALLYCYLINDRICAL SKIRT DEPENDING FROM SAID CIRCULAR TOP PORTION, AND ANINTEGRAL ANNULAR LOCKING FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAIDCYLINDRICAL SKIRT, SAID TOP PORTION BEING FORMED WITH AN ARCUATEINCISION PROVIDING A LANCED TAB, AND WEAKENED SCORE PORTIONS LOCATED ATTHE ENDS OF SAID INCISION AND EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID SCORE PORTIONSHAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR SHAPE LOCATED ON THE OUTER AREA OF THETOP OF SAID CROWN SHELL AND IMMEDIATELY NARROWING INTO A LINE SCOREPORTION EXTENDING TO AND OVER THE CORNER RADIUS AND DOWN THE CYLINDRICALSKIRT, A RIGID INSERT DISC FITTED INTO THE INSIDE OF SAID METAL CROWNSHELL; AND A RESILIENT SEALING LINER SECURED TO THE INNER SURFACE OFSAID RIGID INSERT DISC AND A SHORT PORTION OF THE INNER SIDE WALL OF THECROWN SHELL TO SECURE SAID RIGID INSERT WITHIN SAID CROWN SHELL, SAIDLINER BEING ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE THE CONTAINER WHEREBY WHEN SAIDCROWN CLOSURE IS OPERATIVELY APPLIED TO THE CONTAINER, SAID LOCKINGFLANGE WILL RETAIN SAID LINER IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTAINER.